I have a zieman 1185 trailer that has surge brakes, I tow my bobcat 331 or cat 287 on it, how can you tell if the surge brakes are working and adjusted properly? I am used to electric brake trailers and the surge brakes scare me.
Pull forward extending the actuator. Mark it. Back up a hill. Trailer should refuse to back up hill. Or at least try to refuse. Note actuator travel. If it traveled it full amount the system may be out of adjustment. Or in need of service. There are a number of variables, like disc brakes, or other mechanical issues. Electric brakes usually have adjusters too. Some auto adjusting some not. Once you know it's all good and tight, you will come to realize from the looseness, of the need for attention when taking off from a stop and feeling the slop.
you dont say what your towning it with? pulling a 287 with a 3/4 ton truck and stopping with only 4 brakes ...... well good luck you will be the first on the seen , but the paper work from the police isnt all that hard to fill out....... you need 8 brakes bottom line. Other than backing up surge brakes work better and give you a more planted feel when they are good. After 5~7 years old without a total rebuild they are junk and will be doing little to nothing. Fluid changes and keep on the brake adjustments and they are better then electric in my opinion.
With electric brakes you have infinitely more control. You can operate the trailer brakes independently and set the intensity and check operation from the controller from the cab of the truck while driving. I have a 14, 000 lb. GVW 1/4 x 3/4 x 20' hydraulic tilt bed trailer and pull it with my F350 4x4 dually. It's a terrific combination.:woohoo
pulling with f550, I have the ford brake controller and the electric trailers we so smooth. I definately think surge are gone cause no resitance when backing at all. What brake controllers you guys running, i need to add on to my 00 f450, been reading about proportional.
I have the built-in Ford controller also. Works great.
I have a Contrail 12,000 lb that I pull with my 07 "Classic" GMC Duramax. I use a Hayes Genesis Controller, and I have been very pleased with it (except if you whack it with your knee you might break the flimsy case--I did that once and Hayes replaced it free). The Genesis offers a degree of control--different rates (modulation or "speed" in apply full braking) as well as maximum braking force. I need to adjust the brake shoes--I've never done it. With some brake controllers you have to be careful to find an appropriate mounting surface; most have a spec that tells you the range of acceptable mounting positions. In my '98 GMC, the only mounting spot is at an angle (diagonal) to the direction of travel, not 90 degrees to it, so I use a DrawTite controller that actuates based on a time-delay, not by some internal inertial sensor. The controller works, but not nearly as smooth as the Genesis. By the way, this is the first trailer I have owned or used that has electric brakes--for years all I was exposed to was surge. My opinion might differ from the others--to me, the surge brake idea is, well, inferior by far. My experience may differ due to my choice of controllers--there are a hundred different models out there, several outstanding instrument designs, but others are quite basic (cheap).